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Former Member, New York State Committee of the Independence Party (73rd AD - Eastside Manhattan) and Former Member, New York City Independence Party Organizations - Manhattan Executive Committee and County Committee, representing the 73rd AD.

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Friday, May 12, 2017

NY BOE Asked to Put Con-Con Question on Ballot Front

A Coalition of good-Government and Civic organizations urged the New York State Board of Elections (BOE) to print the question as to whether the State should hold a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) on the front of the November 2017 Ballot.

The Letter signed by the League of Women Voters, Citizens Union, the Long Island Association, Committee for a Constitutional Convention, and the NY Peoples’ Convention PAC.

“This is too important a question to be relegated to the back of the ballot,” said Dare Thompson, the President of the League of Women Voters of New York State. “No one should be deprived of their vote by forgetting to turn the ballot over.”

Voters in New York consider whether to hold a Constitutional Convention every 20 years in a ballot Referendum.

State Legislative Leaders in Albany have expressed unease with holding one over concerns that Special Interest groups could sway the outcome of the final Document.

“I understand peoples’ desire to put it in the hands of the people to decide. But people are also subjected to campaigns,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said this week. “My concern is there can be a lot of outside money influencing what would be the election of 180 or so temporary legislators.”

State Senate Majority Leader John FLanagan raised concerns over the Cost of a potential Convention as well.